Imagine you're a few weeks into the Z invasion. You run into another group of survivors with supplies or skills you obviously don't have. Think you wanna trade? Before you go extending the hand of friendship, how can you be sure you'll be greeted the same way? What are the things you'll do or look for before you approach them? *

*Think you don't need to worry about this? Read this and then defend that position.
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Alicestar:
There is one way to identify us from the "other" survivors, we label our strongholds! I like to propose that all of us post a sign outside our stronghold, a sign with the word "WIKI" on it. also to make the leader of the stronghold more willing to take one of us in we should come up with a method of distinguishing ourselves to them like maybe a set "WIKI" CB channel or something to that effect.
also we should keep a list of updated "WIKI" callsigns to identify and authenticate eachother with. this may sound like alot to ask for but when you think about it, its effective!
***UPDATE***
the callsign page has been created, click the link to add your name and callsign!!
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Maricely--
Alicestar, I love that idea. I don't know if in all the chaos we're all going to have the opportunity to set up signs, but it would help.
The easiest thing to spot and the most tell-tale sign of an untrustworthy group is the leader. It should really be common sense and caution that tell you if you should stick around, but sadly most people these days lack both. if they're assholes, leave them alone. if they're cautious but willing to say hello, you might be able to get something out of them.



AngelaB: I'm going to use the stop, look, and listen method:

• How are they treating each other?
• What percentage of the group is women (slightly less blood thirsty, by nature)?
• Are they travelling with children (suggests compassion)?
• Is their territory clearly marked with signs that say "stay out, losers and undead?"

Is there a clear leader?

• What's the firepower ratio look like? Am I totally outgunned?
• Do they look like they lack all moral center?

Frankly, in the final moments it will be a leap of trust. I'm gonna have to want what they have pretty bad.

vanrulzz:
Personally I will observe them for some of the things that AngelaB already pointed out for an extended amount of time (about a day or so minimum), because first assumptions can be fatal. In an emergency where I do not have time to do these observations I will take them in, there is safety in numbers after all.

roxas33: I agree with AngelaB. However if I'm all alone I am more likely to take a leap of faith join them then decide what is best later on. However if I have time to think things through I will.

McSkullcracken: AngelaB and vanrulzz seem to have the right idea to me. A group would definetly require observation before you contact it in person. Maybe some initial radio contact or some other means of long distance communication could be used as a way to interview the group. Though on AngelaB's comment on the percentage of women in the group, it is possible that they could be being held against their will, or if they comprise a vast majority or all of the group they may be hostile to males. Not all women "need to be taken care of", and there are those capable of being dangerously aggressive, hostile, and ruthless. But then, that's why you observe the group.

Piratelord78: As much as movies should be regarded as fiction, the original Dawn of the Dead actually offers some interesting clues as to how to evaluate other survivors.

- Are they a mobile group or have they established territory? A group that never stays in one area for very long may lack skills needed to produce their own food and necessary supplies. Although not always the case this can be a sign of them being bandits who fully intend on killing you for your stuff, or may be easily tempted to steal your stuff. If they're a mobile biker gang proceed with caution.

- If there's significantly more of them than they say there are, they may be preparing to spring a trap. While such things may make for a good defensive strategy it should also give you a reason to air on the side of caution.

- Do they seem to have a drug problem? If so they may be desperate for a fix, or just plain crazy.

- How much firepower do they have pointed at your compared to how much you have pointed at them? If all your guns are pointed in the air with the safeties off as per safety rules yet all of their's are pointed at you then you may want to slowly walk away.

- Do they wear trenchcoats and have died black hair? If yes then beware of the fabelled trenchcoater.

- Is their weaponry more suitable for use against humans or zombies? If they mostly use automatic weapons or have anti-vehicle weapons then they may intend on using it against you.

- Do they still understand their native language? If their grammar is lacking then they may have turned to barbarianism.

- Are they wearing bulletproof armor of some sort? If yes then they might be expecting a gun fight. While you should also be prepared for a gun fight it's best to be cautious around others who do the same.

- Are they a group of all men? Do you have reasonably attractive women in your group? If the answer to both of those is yes then they may intend on stealing your women.

- Are they wearing turbans? If they are it doesn't make them terrorists. More than likely it's traditional headwear or it's being used as a method of keeping one's head comfortable.

- Are they taking potshots at you despite clear indications that you're not a zombie? If yes then more than likely they intend to kill you regardless.

- Is there a mental asylum nearby? You might want to be careful if that's the case.

Zombiedeathmachine: I personally feel that if they don't something you really need, I would avoid other groups at all cost.

- They can only bring in more social issues to your team( in which at this point should be working as a perfect unit). I doubt many of the people you are going to run into in the streets are going to be prepared people like ourselves so at this point most poeople would be breaking down no matter how many supplies they have.

-There is no telling what type of other diseases( i.e. Flu, Milaria,etc.......) they may have.

- Then their is the other possible issues raised in by the others above.

So many possible negitive options not to many that sound good.

Nerserus: If i knew them before the outbreak, it would help me know what their motives are, some drunken idiots who i`ve witnessed do nothing but
hang around pubs not taking life seriously have a very low chance of coming to grips with an outbreak, they may either, do "like they do in the movies"
and start taking matters into their own hands, or just carry on as normal blocking it out, however there is no telling with some people they might
look ike the roughest biker gang ever. But they might be the wisest people when it comes to survival, it really takes alot of observation, and somtimes
alot of guts.

DarkStorm89: Frankly, I think any people that are generally well disciplined are going to be indispensable. Soldiers, policemen/policewomen, anyone that can handle themselves under pressure, or have weapons training, are going to have a considerable effect on both moralle and survivability. I'm not generally a good leader, but seen as we are some of the few that would really know what to do should a zombie apocalypse arrive, I supposse we would sort of become the natural leaders of a group anyway.

I know that people tend to say "safety in numbers", but with zombies I prefer the opposite. Keep a few, trustworthy, loyal people and that's it. You'll attract less attention and it will be easier to bring the group closer together than a larger force.

Other than that, I believe that just going alone can be good in ways. Less food consumption, less attention, more manouverability. Moralle would suffer of course, but after time it would become easier I'd imagine.


Monkeyfacedzombie:
when z day comes i will stick to a small group of my friends and family, and not take in any survivors, unless they are combat experienced or have something i really really need. other survivors would just be a drain on resources and stir up emotions


DD: All of the above, approach them with concealed weapons.


GunnerGraye:Yeah, just like DD said, everything above and make sure to have a weapon of some sort..I prefer having my nice little switchblade in my pocket just in case someone needs to learn their place in this zombie infested world.


Zazel:
Well to answer this question with any kind of certainty you need to have a little more information, although no matter what the circumstances you will want to observe the group for a length of time before initiating contact if at all possible.

1) If alone you are likely to be outgunned and outnumbered and you may not have much to offer the group so if they are friendly you may have to turn on the charm. Before taking that first step though you will want to familiarize yourself with the area and have a clear idea of how you will want to exit in case things go south, and you will also want to have a side arm of some sort that you can get to in a hurry but is out of sight.

2) If in a group of your own it may be smart to familiarized yourselves with the area first and post men in a semi circle around where you plan to make first contact, if things go bad you could have cover fire that will make getting out alot easier. If you dont have the fire power for this then at the very least you'll want a few people in hiding capable of creating some sort of diversion.

3) Mcskullcraken made a good suggestion that you could for either situation, using some sort of long distance communication such as by radio before revealing your location or any information about your group. Also keep in mind that anyone you encounter will likely be just as suspicious of you and will try to take their own precautions to keep safe.

4) Once you have made contact and possibly have joined forces with another band of survivors you may now have a larger group of people, while there are safety in numbers traveling with so many people may actually serve to make you more vulnerable from both the undead and hostile survivors. I suggest traveling in smaller well armed groups maybe a few miles apart but within a half days travel from eachother at all times and remain in constant radio contact. Doing so will mean you can cover more ground in your search for supplies while also drawing less attention to yourselves.


subsistoncycles
Im not sure whether the will to trade or upgrade supplies should be a primary reason for making contact with a group, for several reasons.
1) post-apocalyptic scarcity: how much of what what few precious things that I have must be sacrificed to get something new
2) when a group is larger than squad sized, its harder to keeps tabs on others, and more people=more room for loss of group integrity=things going wrong
3)if what you are equipped with has allowed for your survival thus far, will it enable you to continue to survive without new stuff?

If I were to reconcile with questions like these, and still desire to make contact, a low profile observation is absolutely necessary, and instinct should override want.

Residentmagnum

What to look for?

I would ask myself a few questions first. there are many good questions. I would keep my distance from them becuase they may be undead or raiders. if possible I would try to ingade them with freindly intentions, but I might bring a hand grenade or a pistol just out of sight as insurance. If there really is no more room in hell I go and maybe several raiders will be coming with me.

No matter the compasion or the urge to keep the human race growing we will all be competing for food, guns, ammo, whores, and one more momet of being alive and not undead.

Would they kill me if I look at them funny? yes or no, maybe
yes or maybe then kill all of them and take their stuff

women can double as whores so their could be a second coming of the human race.

will they robb me if or when I fall asleep? yes, no, maybe

yes or maybe kill them first


zombieshredder: id only have family + friends i really trust

birdbrainX

If it was another loner, I would probably hookup with that individual by making first contact. But since its still a little hard to judge someone upon first contact(unless I stalk him/her for a time, which I highly doubt would happen), I would be a little wary of them(never fully trusting them till later).

Supplies and Skills possesed by them would be a big plus, since I for one am not entirely a trained "survialist". Their initial response would be their saving grace, as those who share what little they have tend to be worth befriending.

A entire group of individuals would be more problematic as its always a liability when its a whole lotta people who possibily have different opinons as to how things should proceed when tough choices have to be made. That and the fact is when a Zombie Outbreak happens, groups of people tend to behave like irrational mobs than their usual rationalselves. Although I dont consider myself as an extremely moral person, but there are still things I wouldnt consider as "proper".

I would track them, and take note of their location/position should a event lead me to need them when the situations requires it(in need or medical assistance, supplies, adivce, companionship, etc)

I would definitely choose to be by myself, and only seek them out when I truly need it. This might sound selfiish to most, but with this events, you can never be too careful with whom you choose to be accompanied with.

Akenokuro: My plan already is built around joining a group, but the way I see it if your comfortable in your group keep it to that as much as possible, two groups may come together for a short amount of time to take on a horde of Z and that can result in a pact of trust which also means some trade and a small amount of communication and it should be cut at that, your group is yours and theirs is theirs. A group that has been together for a long time against the Z has trust, communication without words, and probably have developed perfect sync when fighting or moving. But as DarkStorm said trained specialist should always be welcome, due to an obvious morale boost and skill boost, from doctors to combat specialist a skilled and trained professional will do wonders for ones chance of survival. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alicestar:
One thing to keep in mind is that when you come across a survivor you must remember one thing, they need you more than you need them! if you can play on those weaknesses and build repor you will have a loyal follower. if you cant establish the dominant role upon first contact pop smoke and get the hell out!
a good way to establish rapor is to offer a "gift of good faith" such as a can of food or maybe a pack of smokes. this will help to bring the human side of the subject to the sirface and supress the more basic survival behavior. basicly when a person sees that you are willing to share what is yours with them, they are less likly to want to steel it. a word to all the hoarders out there, if your stingey you will probably get shot in the face because you have no people skills and therefore have no survival skills. remember the last man on earth dies alone!

-sobnob

I am checking for three things.

1: Their supplies.
2: Leadership.
3: Infection.

ZS207:I would have all of my friends, family, and police/army in my base.If anyone with the following features moves within 300 ft. they will be opened up on.They would be told to stay back.

1.Full auto's
2.All one gender
3.Firing the first shots.

Toomin:
Everything said so far sounds really good. I think what both AngelaB and Piratelord78 said was perfect. Except for AngelaB's comment about children. It could mean they are compassionate and caring, but it could also mean they wouldn't risk outsiders coming in and possibly threatening their lives. Something that must be taken into account is how they might view you trying to join them. If you've taken the time to evaluate the group and decided to join them, it would probably be best not to go in looking like you might expect a fight.

Captain_Bloodloss:
--Alright everyone, lets get realistic here. First of all, despite all of our training/knowledge/planning, if a Class 4 zombie outbreak did occur, we would all be a little shaken up. Even though you pretend to be tough now, in that sort of situation where it is hitting the fan, we're all going to be a little unstable and touchy mentally speaking. This means that you are going to want people around especially if you have been on the run for a number of days by yourself. If you are on the run by yourself it won't probably be planned. Since it is best to plan to have a small group, if you're on your own you will probably have lost loved ones and part of your group to hordes of hungry undead and witnessed it no less. So when you run into a group of survivors, as long as they seem happy enough about your presence, your natural instinct will probably be to join up with them if only temporarily.
--Now lets say the shoe is on the other foot and some survivor is coming to you for help. You can't wait leave them out side and evaluate them through some crack in your shelter if there are a bunch of zombies after them. You'd have to let them in and offer them what hospitality you can for the time being. You can't just decide who joins your group based on what they can bring to the group. If they have skills that benefit you, then that's a bonus but in my opinion the only thing that should determine whether or not they can join your group is whether or not they're infected. If someone causes too much trouble once they're part of your group, then you can force them to leave if it comes to that.
--One last thing, you can't treat women as whores even in a zombie apocalypse. Thinking along those lines is ridiculous. You can't and shouldn't force or expect women to take on that type of role no matter what the situation. If you do, you're probably no better than any common bandit and people should watch out for YOU.

TJDOOMSLAYER:
kto be honest i'd rather try and make it on my own till other servivors started following me. i know its suiside. but i dont like having to rely on onther pepole. it makes things to risky. you never realy know some ones limits. and if that person that yout put faith in fails you, it could mean the end of you. i know its wrong to not want to try and keep others alive, but i would rather find pepole who were loyal to me and joined on there own wim in order to follow what they felt they could listen too and follow in to hell and back (lets face if a zombie infested city is the closed and athiest kid is ever going to get.) i also feel large groups are suiside. a group of pepole who just decided for follow you cant get to big. and if it dose i can tell them i whould be leaving and wash my hands of them, then start over. i would be kinda helping them find another group of pepole who they could trust and make them feel safe there. i dont know if i could lead. witch is why i plan to build my fortess home and only let in those who i knew i trust, or other members of orginisations i'm part of in case this sort of thing happened. like the fvza. or you gents. or even the high school magic club. and i gess who you can and cant trust all comes doen to the sort of person you are. i personaly have a hard time trusting pepole becaus i dont like having to rely on a fellow human being. and i know some of you could very easly let another person in your fortess thinking "it will be nice to have some help and company" but wake up to a gun pointed to your head becasus you trusted the wrong person. i base that kinda thing on human nature, witch is stupidity. humans react to violence and chaos with more violence and more chaos. nothing prepares you for that sort of thing better than acualy expericencing it.

also the captian (Captain_Bloodloss) brings up and exelent point. and another point on the not being ready thing. we can read all the manuals avaleabull to us, and memorize as much information as humanly posibul but non of us are turly ready till he have the training and the defences, and training on this sort of thing can only be achived in th feild.

You can't spell. Back to grade 3.